Increase Absenteeism in Midle/Upper SES students not due to illness?

[Anonymous]

I’m a coach and I can tell you they don’t care much about sports either. We try and do a few things in the offseason and almost nobody comes to anything. We are truly created mindless robots and most parents don’t see it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m a coach and I can tell you they don’t care much about sports either. We try and do a few things in the offseason and almost nobody comes to anything. We are truly created mindless robots and most parents don’t see it.

They don’t! One of my students came to my class a couple weeks ago and I said what are you doing here, you were on the email for early release for tennis. “Oh I didn’t go, I was feeling it.” You “weren’t feeling” a meet for the tennis team you… chose to join? Oh I chewed him out. He had no reason not to go, he just decided not to because he didn’t FEEL like it. They don’t care about anything honestly. Nothing feels important or meaningful or worthwhile or like anything they should put effort into, it’s crazy. It used to be kids might blow off classes or not care about academics but at LEAST they were passionate about their activity or sport. Now they couldn’t care less about either.

[Anonymous]

Yes we practically have to beg them to come to practice every day and they think it’s unfair when we bench them or don’t start them when they miss practice. Everything is more important than school or sport. They just have this idea that everything is optional and if they are not feeing it that day the don’t come. Furthermore most of them don’t really even enjoy playing, they get more joy about posting a win on social media than actually playing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There were lots of teachers who took off beyond the holiday, too. DC returned to only 1 teacher and all the rest were subs and electronic work assigned.

Not in FCPS but our PDs and trainings are often held on days like that. I’m not there and it’s not because I’m on a vacation somewhere.

[Anonymous]

The schedule is just an excuse or shows you're uninformed.

Don't get me wrong. As an AP teacher, I hate this schedule with all the short weeks, which has taken away all the time I would have for review before the AP test, forces us to stay in school much earlier/later, and gives an excuse to parents who don't care about academics to just take extended vacations at random times.

In my classes, a not insubstantial portion is constantly skipping on quiz and test days. As in...I can see on their attendance that they came for 1st, skipped 3rd and then went to class for 5th and 7th. Or they're constantly sick, or being checked out by their parent, or have a doctor's appointment when there's an assessment. And they're constantly in catch up mode and asking for special treatment.

A majority is still doing fine, attending regularly and doing what they're supposed to do when they're supposed to do it. But the proportion that's mired in kind of a sh___ show is increasing. I think many are in classes that are simply too hard for them.

[Anonymous]

^. The AP Lit teacher at my school says the same. There were *5* kids present in one block one day last week. They skip, miss, stay home, then say “I tried to keep up at home/can I do a makeup or retake/ what did I miss” but the class rigor is suffering because how do you have a Socratic seminar when 5 kids were there?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is an epidemic of teen anxiety and school avoidance. I don't know why it isn't getting more attention. Someone needs to ask what is going on at school that is causing so much anxiety that kids will stop going to avoid it.

Someone needs to ask what is going on at home that is more motivating than going to school?

Now there are lots of things to do. It is just easier to stay home and be on your phone all day or play video games. There are no more consequences at school and many jurisdictions no longer fine or threaten parents. Parent has to go to work, kids says no. Kid stays home. There used to be truant officers to help haul the kid into school.

Now add that the the fact that kids and parents still remember school was cancelled for so long during Covid. Since then for many families school has remained semi-optional.

So sure there are some kids with anxiety and kids who are being bullied so fearful of going to school. But the vast majority of students who are chronically missing school just find it more motivating to stay home.

It's not that deep.

It's the calendar

It’s not. To some extent this is a nationwide issue - it’s brought up a lot in education. I teach in Loudoun , we have a different calendar, and we have the same attendance issues.

The Loudoun calendar isn't as bad as Fairfax but it's hardly an explain of a school board valuing education and routine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is an epidemic of teen anxiety and school avoidance. I don't know why it isn't getting more attention. Someone needs to ask what is going on at school that is causing so much anxiety that kids will stop going to avoid it.

Someone needs to ask what is going on at home that is more motivating than going to school?

Now there are lots of things to do. It is just easier to stay home and be on your phone all day or play video games. There are no more consequences at school and many jurisdictions no longer fine or threaten parents. Parent has to go to work, kids says no. Kid stays home. There used to be truant officers to help haul the kid into school.

Now add that the the fact that kids and parents still remember school was cancelled for so long during Covid. Since then for many families school has remained semi-optional.

So sure there are some kids with anxiety and kids who are being bullied so fearful of going to school. But the vast majority of students who are chronically missing school just find it more motivating to stay home.

It's not that deep.

It's the calendar

It’s not. To some extent this is a nationwide issue - it’s brought up a lot in education. I teach in Loudoun , we have a different calendar, and we have the same attendance issues.

The Loudoun calendar isn't as bad as Fairfax but it's hardly an explain of a school board valuing education and routine.

That is a completely separate argument. I didn’t offer any evaluation of if the calendar is good. I simply said this issue is not isolated to FCPS, it is also happening in districts with different calendars, so it cannot wholly be pinned on FCPS’s calendar.

[Anonymous]

It's a combination of parents remembering how schools handled covid-it was hey kids teach yourself, you don't need to be in person, and the calendar. For years the schools have sent the message that regular attendance doesn't matter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is an epidemic of teen anxiety and school avoidance. I don't know why it isn't getting more attention. Someone needs to ask what is going on at school that is causing so much anxiety that kids will stop going to avoid it.

Someone needs to ask what is going on at home that is more motivating than going to school?

Now there are lots of things to do. It is just easier to stay home and be on your phone all day or play video games. There are no more consequences at school and many jurisdictions no longer fine or threaten parents. Parent has to go to work, kids says no. Kid stays home. There used to be truant officers to help haul the kid into school.

Now add that the the fact that kids and parents still remember school was cancelled for so long during Covid. Since then for many families school has remained semi-optional.

So sure there are some kids with anxiety and kids who are being bullied so fearful of going to school. But the vast majority of students who are chronically missing school just find it more motivating to stay home.

It's not that deep.

It's the calendar

It’s not. To some extent this is a nationwide issue - it’s brought up a lot in education. I teach in Loudoun , we have a different calendar, and we have the same attendance issues.

The Loudoun calendar isn't as bad as Fairfax but it's hardly an explain of a school board valuing education and routine.

That is a completely separate argument. I didn’t offer any evaluation of if the calendar is good. I simply said this issue is not isolated to FCPS, it is also happening in districts with different calendars, so it cannot wholly be pinned on FCPS’s calendar.

Both calendars are ridiculous and both calendars are why attendance is spotty.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is an epidemic of teen anxiety and school avoidance. I don't know why it isn't getting more attention. Someone needs to ask what is going on at school that is causing so much anxiety that kids will stop going to avoid it.

Someone needs to ask what is going on at home that is more motivating than going to school?

Now there are lots of things to do. It is just easier to stay home and be on your phone all day or play video games. There are no more consequences at school and many jurisdictions no longer fine or threaten parents. Parent has to go to work, kids says no. Kid stays home. There used to be truant officers to help haul the kid into school.

Now add that the the fact that kids and parents still remember school was cancelled for so long during Covid. Since then for many families school has remained semi-optional.

So sure there are some kids with anxiety and kids who are being bullied so fearful of going to school. But the vast majority of students who are chronically missing school just find it more motivating to stay home.

It's not that deep.

It's the calendar

It’s not. To some extent this is a nationwide issue - it’s brought up a lot in education. I teach in Loudoun , we have a different calendar, and we have the same attendance issues.

The Loudoun calendar isn't as bad as Fairfax but it's hardly an explain of a school board valuing education and routine.

That is a completely separate argument. I didn’t offer any evaluation of if the calendar is good. I simply said this issue is not isolated to FCPS, it is also happening in districts with different calendars, so it cannot wholly be pinned on FCPS’s calendar.

Both calendars are ridiculous and both calendars are why attendance is spotty.

There are much bigger issues at play or this would not be a nationwide issue at all grade levels k-12. You’re being simple and reductive if you want to claim it’s entirely the calendar. Attendance is low in states with completely different calendars than ours.

[Anonymous]

As a parent, yes, it's COVID examples and the calendar. That's why I don't feel any guilt having my kids add a day or two off to a random midweek no school day. And the reason is

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's a combination of parents remembering how schools handled covid-it was hey kids teach yourself, you don't need to be in person, and the calendar. For years the schools have sent the message that regular attendance doesn't matter.

Omg covid was ONE year of school. One. Many of the kids in school now weren’t even in school when covid happened!

[Anonymous]

And the overzealous use of snow days. Clearly the school administration and school board don't think kids need to be in school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a combination of parents remembering how schools handled covid-it was hey kids teach yourself, you don't need to be in person, and the calendar. For years the schools have sent the message that regular attendance doesn't matter.

Omg covid was ONE year of school. One. Many of the kids in school now weren’t even in school when covid happened!

It clearly sent a message that in person education was not a priority and parents and students remember that. Kids who were in kindergarten when it started as still in elementary school so most kids in the school system remember the experience of a short google meet and then "go ask your parents what to do now".